Distance Related Effects near Radio and Television Transmitters – 
A New Perspective  - Cyril W. Smith

The Study reported in the paper on, “Cancer Incidence near Radio and Television Transmitters in Great Britain II. All High Power Transmitters”1 reports on, ‘...findings for adult leukemias, skin melanoma, and bladder cancer near the 20 other high power radio and TV transmitters in Great Britain...’ (other than the Sutton Coldfield transmitter previously studied).   It  concludes that: 

“….while there is evidence of a decline in leukemia risk with distance from transmitters, the pattern and magnitude of risk associated with residence near the Sutton Coldfield transmitter do not appear to be replicated around other transmitters. ….”

This  Study and its findings appear at odds with the ‘gut-feelings’ of  local residents communicated to the writer. Here, it is re-examined so far as its published data allows. 

Population Density

In England and Wales as a whole, the average population density is 940 persons/square mile which is 363 persons per square kilometre. ‘The total  study population was around 3.39 million persons’.  ‘The study areas were defined by circles of radius 10 km from each transmitter’. Thus,  3,390,000  persons within 20 areas each of 10 km radius (= 314.2 sq. km) gives an average population density of  539 persons per square kilometre. This is quite consistent  with the above estimate since these transmitters serve major centres of population and will be adopted for the following calculations.

Cancer Incidence - Expected Number of Cases

The Study used cancer registration data post-coded to the address at diagnosis for the years 1974-1986 (1974-1984 in Wales, 1975-1986 in Scotland).  If the overall incidence of leukaemia is approximately 5/100,000 per year 2  then, over a period of 12 years the expected incidence would be 60/100,000 persons. 

Table 1 compares  the expected incidence of all leukaemias based on an average population density of 539 persons per square kilometre to the Study’s observed cases as a function of distance from all transmitters taken from  the data given in Table 2 on p.14 of Ref. 1.

Table 1

Cancer Incidence with Distance from 20 Transmitters (Tx).

Tx distance
(km) 	Area enclosed
(sq km)	Persons in area at
539/sq.km. 	Expected
cases per 
20 Tx @
60/100k	Expected 
cases per 
20 Tx. 
Ref. 1 	Observed cases. 
20 Tx. 
Ref. 1	Obs. 
/Exp.
Col6/
Col 4
	Obs. 
/Exp.
from
Ref. 1	
Col.1	Col. 2	Col. 3	Col. 4	Col. 5	Col.6	Col.7	Col. 8	
								
0.0 - 0.5	0.785	423	5	2.3	2	0.4	0.87	
0.5 - 1.0	2.356	1270	15	13.8	12	0.8	0.87	
1.0 - 2.0	 9.428	5082	61	65.5	65	1.1	0.99	
2.0 - 3.0	15.70	8462	101	135.3	155	1.5	1.15	
3.0 - 4.9	47.16	25,419	306	494.1	539	1.8	1.09	
4.9 - 6.3	49.27	26,557	318	589.7	623	2.0	1.06	
6.3 - 7.4	47.30	25,495	306	518.0	547	1.8	1.05	
7.4 - 8.3	44.40	23.932	288	453.4	434	1.5	0.96	
8.3 - 9.2	49.50	26,681	320	493.5	497	1.6	1.01	
9.2 - 10	48.30	26,034	312	427.9	431	1.4	1.01	

Column 1 lists  the same annular bands at the various distances from the transmitters that were used in the above Study.  The areas enclosed within these bands are given in Column 2. The number of persons within these areas in Column 3 for a  population density of 539/sq.km, the value implied in the Study. The total expected number of cases in each annular band is given in Column 4 for a leukaemia incidence of 5/100,000 per year for 12 years (= 60/100,000) and including all 20 transmitter locations. 

These expected cases mostly come out lower than the expected  cases as given in Table 2 on p.14 of the Study and which are quoted in Column 5. If the  observed-to-expected (O/E) ratio for the Study’s observed values given in Column 8 are compared to those presently  calculated and given in Column 7, it is seen that whereas the latter show an O/E peak which may represent a “window” for electromagnetic field  effects, any  peak in the Study’s results is minimal.

When the results in Column 7 are plotted on probability paper, they are seen to be a good fit to a ‘Normal’ distribution from 1.5 km to 8 km with a mean at 5 km and a standard deviation of  ± 1.5 km. 

Since the Study covers 20 transmitters from different parts of the UK, any effects related to geographical or topographical features and antenna design should average out. This only leaves the physical characteristics of the propagation of electromagnetic radiation from which to seek a mechanism.

A simple experiment involving a toroid and solenoid connected  in series shows that when the A and B field vectors are in opposite directions (180º or l/2 phase difference)  the frequency of the current is imprinted into water placed there. When the A and B fields are parallel (zero phase difference), the frequency imprint is erased. 

The radiation (E- and B-fields) from a transmitter will propagate at the velocity of light in air, the magnetic vector potential (A-field) does not interact with matter (it alters the phase of the electron wave-function) and propagates at the vacuum velocity of light. At 5 km distance  from the transmitter, there will be a transit time difference of  5 ns between the A and B fields. At 100 MHz this represents a 180º or l/2 phase difference, the condition for that frequency to be imprinted into any water present (including living tissues). The frequency band 70MHz-130MHz would cover the standard deviations of  Column 7 in Table 1 and would include the FM radio transmissions from these transmitters. 

Possible bio-medical effects of this would include stressing by entrainment of the allergy acupuncture meridian (AD1 in Voll-notation) which has an endogenous frequency3 of  94 MHz and the stressing by chronic exposure to ‘proving-symptoms’ of  whatever homoeopathic potencies happen contain  frequencies in the region of 100 MHz. Any reaction of a person so exposed will be determined by that individual’s body-load of stress both inherited and acquired from absorbed chemicals toxic to that individual.

The electrical environment has the same problems that acupuncture and homoeopathy experience in the validation of effects.

1.	H. Dolk,  P. Elliott, G. Shaddick, P. Walls and B. Thakrar  (1997) Cancer Incidence near Radio and Television Transmitters in Great Britain II. All High Power Transmitters. American Journal of Epidemiology 145(1): 10-17.
2.	P. J. Kumar, M.L. Clark (1990) Clinical Medicine. London: Bailière- Tindall, p. 357.
3.	C.W. Smith (2000) 18th. Annual Symposium on Man and His Environment, June 8-11, 2000, Dallas, Texas. Symposium  Notes for Presentations: “The Diagnosis and Therapy of EM Hypersensitivity” and “EM Fields in Health, in Therapies and Disease”.

Postscript

Vatican Radio in an attempt to stop Italy from cutting off electricity supplies to its transmitters near Anguillara Sabazia (North of Rome - 12.19E/41.54N) over a dispute involving the radiation hazards, plans to reduce its  (300/600 kW) medium-wave transmissions on 1530 kHz. The leukaemia  clusters in Cesano and Formello are at distances consistent with the data shown in Table 1 above and suggest that its FM transmissions (93.3/103.8/105.0 MHz) should be investigated. However, blaming the leukaemias on power levels does keep the paradigm within “classical physics” where there can be no effects.